Re: Tarping a load.

Posted by Brad Gyde on April 10, 2016 at 12:14:24 from (184.21.136.89):

In Reply to: Tarping a load. posted by Geo-TH,In on April 07, 2016 at 15:54:39:

I made my own "roll up" tarp, similar to what is commercially made for PJ dumpers (and many others). It is a crude setup, but it took me all of about 3 hours to build, and cost me the cost of half a dozen welding rods, a few zip ties, and a few nuts/bolts. All other materials were salvaged. Someone with a little more time and effort could do a nicer job than I did, but I'm into function, not fashion (and the only fashion statement our WELL USED dumper makes is "worn out"). I can't say how many tarps I have bought, or cut from old semi tarps, or whatever that have been lost, or have not came back with the trailer after another family member uses it, etc.. it was a never ending battle to keep a tarp with it.

I started with the remnants from a old garage door, and a mesh tarp off of a trailer from work (tarp was no good to cover a semi trailer, but had a usable section large enough to cover the little dumper).

I welded a couple "blocks" to the front side of our box so that I had a mounting spot that was "flush" with the lip that runs around the top of the box.

Then I took the 2 bearings and mounting plates that the torsion spring shaft goes through and welded them to the previously mounted blocks, allowing the torsion rod to stick out towards the front of the tongue about 4".

I cut the torsion shaft about 2" longer than was needed to go from one bearing to the other, allowing the extra to stick out on the drivers side, then welded a 1/4"x2"x8" (overkill, but it is what was in the scrap steel pile) to the end of the shaft for the "crank", drilled a 3/8" hole on the end, and put a bolt about 6" long to use as the actual handle. I also tack wended the bar to the bearing on the passenger side to keep the shaft from wandering.

I cut the tarp to the desired length (I left it about 2-3 feet longer than needed so if I had a heaped load I would still have plenty of length to reach the tailgate), but realized the tarp was about 8" too wide.. I didn't want to cut the tarp length wise, as I wanted to keep the grommets on the sides of the tarp, so I folded it over itself near the center and "stiched" it every 8 inches or so with zip-ties.

I wrapped the tarp once around the torsion shaft, and drilled 4 holes (1 toward each end, and 2 spaced between), and put bolts with washers and nuts on them THROUGH THE TARP AND THE BAR, which fastens the tarp to the bar so when wound the bar don't spin and not wrap the tarp.

I stretch out the tarp, use rubber tarp straps on the back, wind the tarp fairly tight, and use a tarp strap to pull the handle keeping the tarp snug, then use a couple rubber straps on the sides when loaded. When empty, I roll the tarp up, strap the handle to prevent rotation, and wrap a strap around the tarp/bar to keep the wind from possibly whipping and unrolling it.

I still want to put a bar on the rear end of the tarp, and make brackets for the bar to go into like the factory made units, but I haven't gotten to it yet. Another thing I would rather have is a handle with a "latch" (kinda like a come along or a boat trailer hand winch) so that I don't need a tarp strap to keep it pulled snug, but I have a solution for that also.. I'm going to get a crank handle like the semi trailers use, and connect it to my setup with a chain and sprocket, just like the big trailers. The supplier we get our tarp supplies from sell a light duty crank for about $20, and for a small dump trailer, the crank is way heavier than would be required.

I did this all about a year or so ago, and although we don't use it a lot (usually a load to the landfill every other month or so, and a couple loads of scrap, dirt, gravel, etc in between) it has been AWESOME so far.. no hunting for a tarp, no fuss, and easy for just one person to tarp up quickly and get going.

Sorry for my loooooong post, and I will try to get a picture of my quick throw together job.

Brad

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